Supplier to Zero V2 was published on 31 July 2026.
A six-month transition period applies from 1 August 2026 to 31 January 2027. During this period, both Supplier to Zero V1 and V2 will remain available, allowing facilities to familiarise themselves with the revised framework and transition in line with their certification renewal cycle.
From 1 February 2027, Supplier to Zero V2 will become mandatory. From this date:
All new Supplier to Zero assessments and certifications must be completed against V2 requirements.
Supplier to Zero V1 will be discontinued.
Existing V1 certificates issued before 1 February 2027 will remain valid until their stated expiry date.
Facilities do not need to transition to Supplier to Zero Version 2 until their existing Version 1 certificate expires. All Version 1 certificates issued before the mandatory transition date will remain valid until their stated expiry date.
When a certificate is due for renewal, the facility must complete its next assessment against Supplier to Zero Version 2.
Supplier to Zero V2 applies to organisations that manufacture, process, assemble, finish or manage the production of materials and products for the fashion industry. It covers organisations responsible for implementing sustainable chemical management practices within their own operations and, where applicable, across their supply chains.
Organisations within scope include:
Textile manufacturers and processors
Leather manufacturers and tanneries
Apparel manufacturers, including Cut, Make and Trim facilities
Footwear manufacturers and assemblers
Accessories and trim manufacturers
Home textile and furnishing manufacturers
Printing, dyeing, washing, finishing, coating and laundry facilities
Raw wool scouring and raw silk degumming facilities
Vertically integrated manufacturing facilities
Traders, agents, sourcing companies and similar organisations that subcontract manufacturing activities or manage supplier networks and are responsible for implementing chemical management requirements across their supply chains
Organisations outside the scope include:
Raw material production and extraction, including agriculture, livestock farming, forestry and petrochemical feedstock production
Chemical manufacturers and formulators producing chemical substances or formulations
Fibre manufacturing facilities covered under the ZDHC Fibre Programme, including:
Dissolving pulp manufacturers
Man-made cellulosic fibre manufacturers
Recycled fibre manufacturers
Facilities should follow the steps below when completing a Supplier to Zero V2 assessment:
Understand the requirements: Review the Supplier to Zero V2 Manual and become familiar with the applicable requirements, performance criteria and guidance.
Prepare for the assessment: Complete the Supplier Profile and self-assessment to understand the facility’s current implementation status.
Improve performance: Conduct a gap analysis, implement necessary improvements and prepare the required supporting evidence.
Arrange the third-party assessment: Select a ZDHC Approved Assessment Provider and schedule the assessment. Use the Evidence Checklist to prepare and submit the required documentation.
Complete the assessment: Participate in the independent third-party desktop or on-site assessment and provide any additional information requested by the assessor.
Review the outcome: Review the assessment findings, understand identified improvement opportunities and obtain a Supplier to Zero Certificate.
Continue improving: Repeat the assessment annually to maintain certification and demonstrate continual implementation and improvement.
The applicability of Supplier to Zero V2 requirements and performance criteria will be determined through the Supplier Profile.
The Supplier Profile captures information about the facility’s operations, including:
Facility and supplier type
- Manufacturing and processing activities
- Materials and products handled
- Use and quantity of chemicals
- Purchase of processed or part-processed input materials
- Use of subcontractors
- Industrial wastewater generation
- Wastewater discharge pathway
- Wastewater treatment processes
- Sludge generation and disposal pathway
- Other relevant operational characteristics
Based on this information, the Supplier Platform will identify the requirements and performance criteria applicable to the facility. A facility is required to demonstrate that they meet only the requirements and criteria applicable to its operations.
Unless a specific requirement or performance criterion states otherwise, the assessment period is the 12-month period immediately preceding the assessment date.
The information, records, data and supporting evidence reviewed during the assessment should therefore demonstrate the facility’s activities, performance and practices during this 12-month period.
Where a requirement specifies a different timeframe, that timeframe will apply.
Supplier to Zero V2 provides three assessment types, offering increasing levels of confidence in the assessment outcome.
Self-assessment
The self-assessment is completed by the facility and is based on self-declaration against the applicable requirements. Supporting evidence does not need to be submitted as part of the assessment, although the facility should have and retain evidence to substantiate its responses.
Third-party desktop assessment
The desktop assessment is conducted remotely by a ZDHC Approved Supplier to Zero Assessor. The assessor reviews the facility’s responses and the supporting documentation submitted for all criteria claimed as met.
The outcome reflects the assessor’s evaluation of the information and evidence available at the time of assessment.
Third-party on-site assessment
The on-site assessment includes the document review undertaken during a desktop assessment and an on-site evaluation of the facility.
The assessor verifies implementation through activities such as interviews, site observations, document and record reviews, and inspection of relevant processes and operational areas. The on-site assessment provides the highest level of confidence in the assessment outcome.
Supplier to Zero V2 recognises achievement across three progressive performance levels:
Level 1 – Baseline implementation
Level 2 – Advanced implementation
Level 3 – Best-practice implementation
Performance is evaluated separately across the three Supplier to Zero focus areas:
Input
Process
Output
The final Supplier to Zero Performance Level is determined by the lowest level achieved across the three focus areas.
For example, where a facility achieves Level 3 for Input, Level 2 for Process and Level 3 for Output, its overall Supplier to Zero Performance Level will be Level 2.
Each applicable performance criterion is evaluated as either:
Meets
Does not meet
For selected criteria, partial conformance may be recognised where substantial implementation has been achieved, but minor gaps remain. Partial conformance is permitted only in some cases.
Where permitted, a partially met criterion contributes to the applicable performance-level threshold in the same way as a met criterion. Significant gaps will result in the criterion being evaluated as not met.
Some criteria are designated as mandatory performance criteria. These represent fundamental practices that must be met before the corresponding performance level can be achieved, regardless of the facility’s overall conformance percentage.
The level-assignment methodology is as follows:
Level 1
To achieve Level 1, the facility must meet all applicable Level 1 performance criteria.
If any applicable Level 1 criterion is not met, the facility will not achieve Level 1. The assessment report may nevertheless be used as a gap analysis to support improvement.
Level 2
To achieve Level 2, the facility must:
Meet all applicable Level 1 performance criteria
Meet all mandatory Level 2 performance criteria
Meet at least 80% of the remaining applicable Level 2 performance criteria in the Input focus area, 80% in the Process focus area and 80% in the Output focus area
Level 3
To achieve Level 3, the facility must:
Meet all applicable Level 1 performance criteria
Meet all mandatory Level 2 and Level 3 performance criteria
Meet at least 80% of the remaining applicable Level 2 and Level 3 performance criteria in the Input focus area, 80% in the Process focus area and 80% in the Output focus area
The overall Supplier to Zero Performance Level is based on the lowest level achieved across the three focus areas.
The document issued to a facility depends on the type of assessment completed. All Supplier to Zero assessment types are valid for one year from the assessment completion date.
Self-assessment
A facility completing a self-assessment will receive an acknowledgement document confirming completion of the assessment.
The acknowledgement:
Is not an independently verified assessment or certification
Does not indicate a Supplier to Zero Performance Level
Should not be presented as certification of the facility’s performance
Third-party desktop and on-site assessment
A facility completing a third-party desktop or on-site assessment will receive a Supplier to Zero Certificate stating:
The achieved performance level
The assessment type
An on-site assessment certificate is valid for one year as standard. However, if the following conditions are met, the validity may be extended:
A facility achieving Level 2 may extend the certificate validity once by completing a desktop assessment before the certificate expires.
A facility achieving Level 3 may extend the certificate validity twice by completing a desktop assessment before the certificate expires.
Supplier to Zero V2 introduces several important improvements to better support suppliers in implementing and demonstrating sustainable chemical management.
The key changes include:
Alignment with the Suppliers Roadmap to Zero (SRtZ): The assessment framework is fully aligned with the SRtZ guidance and structured around the three focus areas of Input, Process and Output, creating a clearer connection between implementation guidance and assessment requirements.
Performance-based levels: In Version 1, assessment levels reflected the level of assurance (for example, self-assessment or third-party review). In Version 2, the three Supplier to Zero levels represent supplier performance and implementation maturity. The assessment type is communicated separately on the certificate.
Expanded assessment options: Version 2 introduces three assessment types, allowing suppliers to progressively increase the level of assurance. In addition to self-assessment and third-party desktop assessment, suppliers can now undertake a third-party on-site assessment, providing the highest level of confidence through direct verification at the facility.
More relevant facility-specific requirements: The applicability of requirements is determined through the Supplier Profile, ensuring suppliers are assessed only against requirements relevant to their operations.
New Supplier Platform: Suppliers can access the new Supplier Platform to complete their assessment.
Suppliers with a valid Supplier to Zero Version 1 certificate can continue using it until it expires. At the next renewal, they will transition to Supplier to Zero Version 2.
Not achieving Level 1 means that one or more mandatory baseline requirements have not yet been met. This does not prevent a facility from improving and reassessing.
The assessment results can be used as a gap analysis to identify opportunities for improvement. Once the identified gaps have been addressed, the facility may complete a new assessment to demonstrate its progress.
Supporting documents do not need to be submitted as part of the Supplier to Zero self-assessment. However, facilities should ensure that appropriate records and evidence are available to substantiate their responses.
If a facility proceeds with a third-party desktop or on-site assessment, the assessor will review the relevant supporting documentation as part of the assessment.
All supporting evidence should be submitted directly to the assessor and not uploaded to the Supplier Platform.
No. The meaning of the assessment levels in Supplier to Zero Version 1 and Version 2 is different, and the two versions are not directly comparable.
In Version 1, the assessment level referred to the type of assessment, whereas in Version 2 it refers to supplier performance.
As a result, there is no direct comparison between the levels of Version 1 and Version 2, and suppliers should not expect to achieve the same level after transitioning.
The closest equivalent to a Supplier to Zero Version 1 Level 2 assessment is a Supplier to Zero Version 2 third-party desktop assessment.